In particular with electrically driven motor vehicles, i.e. purely electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, attempts have previously been made to configure the perceptible background noise in the passenger compartment of the vehicle in an advantageous manner. This includes, in particular, the generation of an artificial driving noise which is to offer passengers an equivalent to the engine noise heard by passengers in combustion engine cars but missing in electric cars.
Previously such artificial driving noises have been generated by an autonomous unit and mixed with the sound pattern output by a loudspeaker. This is known, for example, from the DE 10 2008 040 139 A1. The unit in this case must be operated by a user, in particular the unit must be switched on and off, the sound level must be regulated and the type of noise, for example the driving noise, to be generated and added, must be chosen.
Operating the unit therefore requires the user's attention, in particular if while driving, settings have to be quickly adjusted in the case of incoming telephone calls or in other special situations. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide an improved audio system for a motor vehicle. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.